S2352 John Bell Eastep
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S2352 John Bell EASTEP was born 11 Jan 1861 in Carter Co. TN. He was the second child of five known children born to [S235] William EASTEP and Hannah HUGHES. John and Elenor "Nellie" PRICE were married 20 Feb 1880 in Greene Co., TN. They appear on the 1880 Greene Co., TN federal census, living with her parents, William A. PRICE and Nancy RUTHERFORD. John and Nellie had four sons before Nellie died around 1891 or 1889. John remarried 14 Sep 1893 to Elizabeth Mary BIRCHFIELD, widow of William ROBERTS. John and Elizabeth had two sons.
Approximately 1896 to 1900 John moved his family to eastern Washington state where they appear on the 1900 federal census at Colfax, Whitman Co., with his profession reflected as a blacksmith. John pursued the blacksmith profession with his sons for a number of years. On 1 Mar 1902, John and Elizabeth were divorced; however, they remarried on 10 Aug 1910. Also during 1910, John left the blacksmith profession and became a Whitman County Deputy Sheriff. In the performance of his law enforcement duties, John was shot and killed on 24 Aug 1912 by Ernest GARDNER in Tekoa, Whitman Co., WA. The shooting occured when GARDNER was notified that the Tekoa City Council had revoked his brothers' saloon license as the result of an assault/death on a patron over a disputed card game. John was buried in Colfax, WA. Elizabeth lived in Spokane, WA until 11 Oct 1931 when she died. She is buried in Spokane.
Children of John and Nellie:
S23521 William Ashley EASTEP was born ?? Nov 1881 in Greene Co., TN.
S23523 Jack EASTEP was born 4 Aug 1886 in Greene Co., TN. See article.
S23524 Benjamin H. EASTEP was born ?? Jul 1889 in Greene Co., TN.
Children of John and Elizabeth:
S23525 Dudley T. EASTEP was born ?? Apr 1895 in Greene Co., TN.
S23526 James Houston EASTEP was born 3 May 1896 in Greene Co., TN.
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SOURCES:
*Newspaper article on the shooting "Brother Rum Sellers Kill Three; Tekoa; One Suicide," Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA, Aug 1912.
*Newspaper article about the funeral of Deputy Sheriff J. B. Eastep, probably from The Colfax Gazette, Colfax, WA, Aug 1912.
(from left to right) Arlington, Nelson, John J. Eastep, Jack Eastep,
John Bell Eastep, Hugh Todd, (unknown), John Pattoson, and (unknown).
[photo taken 1908]
